Crate training is an essential lesson for every puppy because it frees up time for dog owners to do whatever they need to do without worrying for their puppy's safety. Puppies that are crate-trained properly will be able to enjoy their stay in the crate, feeling secure, relaxed and fun. Done correctly, it will be your dog's natural den where he will visit without you telling him to do so.



Getting the Right Crate Size - An ideal dog training crate should be large enough to allow your dog to stretch out without hitting his head and allow him to be able to turn around easily. The crate is too big if your dog can relieve himself in one corner and move to play and sleep in another. You can block off and make the crate smaller by blocking off certain section with wooden cardboards if your pup is still young.

Critical Crate Training Rules - You must introduce the crate slowly to your dog when you begin crate training. Crate him in short intervals, about 10 minutes, and gradually increase the duration over time. All dogs need some time to get used to staying in the crate. Never crate him for more than 30 minutes or longer the first time you put him into the crate.

It is not recommended to left a pup in a crate for long hours. Your puppy should have the chance to exercise and urinate before being crated. Dogs are fastidious creatures and have no desire to soil the surroundings of their private spaces. However, he might be forced to relieve himself if you cruelly lock him in for longer than he can hold it in.

A rule of thumb to gauge how long your puppy should be in his crate is to add an hour to his age in months. For example, a puppy who is two months old must not be left in a crate in excess of three hours.

It's common for pups to bark and moan to attract your attention while in the crate. If any of these things happen when he is in the crate, do not give him any attention! Yes! Do not even look in his direction.

Dogs are intelligent animals. Do not let on that he will be able to get your attention and change your mind when he is upset. Simply ignore him. Praise your dog or let him out only when he settles down.

If it's a young puppy whom you've just introduce the crate to, maybe you can offer him a treat in the crate to calm him down. No matter what you do, you must not let your pup out of the crate, this is a very critical moment where you must not give in.

If you notice that your dog displays hyper active behavior as compared to before, you might be crating him for too long. If your dog starts to chew on himself, let him out immediately and consult a trainer or behaviorist.

Here are some tips to help introduce the crate to your dog:

1. To make it easier for your pup to accept his crate, play with him there, or spent time near the crate doing whatever you like, reading or playing video games while he is busy playing with his new toy. If he is there all by himself, he begins to associate the area with isolation and may resist being there at all.

2. Begin crate training at dinnertime. Give him his food, one piece at a time, by throwing bits of kibble in to the crate and making him search for it. This is one of the many ways that you can do to make crate training fun for him.

3. You can place his favorite toy, or even surprise him with treats hidden in the crate for him. To surprise him, you can even hide a biscuit in the crate ? that's fun!

4. It is not advisable to keep him in the crate for long periods until he is pressured to relieve himself. If you are gone for long periods each day, you should consider a larger confinement area such as an exercise pen or a small room.

5. The best place to place the crate would be where your puppy can see the environment and family members, hear and smell you, the owner.

6. Do not punish your dog in his crate, it will backfire. Your pup will tend to enjoy his stay in the crate more readily if you can make him associate crate stay with a time for fun. It is meant to be a comfortable and safe space, not where he'll get punished.

7. Crate training is not a long term solution to keeping your dog safe without supervision. Pups must not be left in crates alone for long period of time. Your training duration will be affected greatly if you crate him for too long and he urinate in the crate.

In sum, crate training is a necessary training tool when instilling obedience. Its main purpose is to provide security, safety, reduce potentially destructive behaviors, add to the ease of traveling and protection for short term confinement, whenever the owner needs it. It is a vital lesson that all pups should pick up since young.